Blackheart
by Tuume
Summary: BloodClan is broken. StoneClan reigns. Only the blackest heart can save Scourge from destruction.
1. Blackheart

**Blackheart**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors or any of the characters in the franchise. I only own Blackheart.**

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**Just thought I'd try my hand at a Warriors fic. This story centers around Bloodclan after its defeat in The Darkest Hour. As a AU fiction, Scourge is alive, but Bloodclan is broken, with only a few select cats still loyal. Most others have either struck out on their own or become part of the numerous new gangs. Scourge starts a recruitment process, and ends up finding a little more than a new cat along the way…**

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Nobody really understood real hardship until it was thrust onto them. The fat, lazy kitty pets thought hardship was having to get up and exercise; forest cats thought hardship was having little to hunt during leaf bare, or having to fight petty territory battles; rogues and loners believed it was not having a home or struggling for food.

Lies. All of it, lies!

Real hardship was being taken from your mother when you're barely six moons old, and thrown in a cage in the back of a monster with other screaming, yowling cats. It was being put into an even smaller cage inside a Twoleg nest and fed dry, nearly inedible garbage that they tried to pass of as food. It was being put on a cold surface while they poked, prodded and cut you while you screamed. It was being put into a pen with other cats and fighting just to be left alone to drown in your own misery.

It was living every day just to feel yourself die a little more inside.

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He had long since forgotten what his mother looked like. He couldn't even remember if he had any siblings. Most likely not; if he could recall his mother, he could have recalled any brothers or sisters… All he really did remember were the cages and the countless other animals in the pens.

The Twolegs were taking them out again. They had been doing that a lot lately. Bringing them out into the front of the large den and placing all the animals in large pens where visiting Twolegs and their kits could stare and make noises at them. All the other animals rushed to the edges of the high entrapment and began to make every noise and gesture to appeal to the giant beasts.

It made him sick.

"Move over Blackheart!" A golden tabby, Anna, she was called, jostled his shoulder as she rushed past him to get to the front of the pen. Of all the cats she was most anxious to become a kittypet. She was also the one to give him his name.

It had been an accident really. Days after he had arrived a tom had tried to bully him into submission. Blackheart would have none of it. Though the tom had been stronger, Blackheart had been hardened after just days of the Twoleg's treatment. He had slashed the tom's throat and left him to die. Anna, who had been watching with other cats from the sidelines, had yowled and said, "You'd have to have a heart as black as your fur to do that!" The name started there and pretty soon it had stuck.

He himself was a sleek, long legged tom with fur as black as night, with brown paws and hard, brown eyes that never softened. They always seemed sad or angry. He would have to agree on that one. All he had ever felt was sad or angry. And empty…

Blackheart sniffed, disinterested. "Maybe you should watch where you're going. Just because you get to the front doesn't mean they'll pick you." He himself had no desire for a kittypet existence. It would only mean to trade one prison for another. For all he knew, the Twolegs outside of that place were even more heartless than the ones he dealt with every day. At least in here he knew what to expect and deal with.

But on the other hand he desired freedom. The prison he could not escape; Twolegs kept him and the others locked up and the passages to the outside were too heavy to move. As much as he hated to admit it, the Twolegs were, ironically, his only way out.

Anna piped up again, her tail swishing to and fro. "Maybe not… But trying to get out of here is better than rotting! Wouldn't you rather do something other than just sit around all day and let those Twolegs treat you like a captive? Don't you want something better?"

_Yes. _Blackheart buried his antagonism and gave himself a quick grooming to shine up his pelt. He took a deep breath and took what he hoped was his first step towards freedom.

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"Brick, what have you to report?" The voice, like nails being dragged on rock echoed through the alley, which merely sunrises ago had been teeming with cats. From atop the dumpster, Scourge scowled, his bristling fur making him look twice his size. Red scars decorated his pelt from the previous battle. His eyes, cold, icy daggers, dig into his subordinate's pelt.

A gaunt, skinny orange tom dipped his head respectfully and addressed his leader. "Most of our forces were scattered when the Clan cats defeated us in battle. Some have died, others have returned to Twoleg place intact."

"Then why are they not here?" The dumpster screeched from the dragging of Scourge's reinforced claws.

A third voice, deeper this time, answered from the alley mouth, "They've lost faith in you Scourge." Bone, a large black and white tom sporting his own scars from the battle in Fourtrees stalked into the alley angrily. "Those ungrateful mouse brains have abandoned Bloodclan. Most have fled from Twoleg place, but others have stayed and formed their own independent Clans."

"What of Snake and Ice?" Scourge inquired. They had been loyal Bloodclan cats. He should know; he ordered them to savage their own sister. Surely they had not turned traitor?

Bone shook his head. "They have not only turned against us, but they've formed a new Clan along with other cats. They call themselves Stoneclan and live behind the Twoleg food place." The large cat looked grave as he licked his lips and said his next words. "Scourge, we're all that's left. At this rate, we'll either starve or Stoneclan will kill us."

Scourge's icy eyes blazed with malice. Finding purchase in the thick metal, his reinforced claws gouged huge scratches. With a leap, he was instantly in front Brick and Bone and yowled, " Get out there! Round up whatever cat you can find! Any rogue, loner, or even kittypet, bring them to this alley and force them to swear loyalty to me! Any cat who walks in Twoleg place is mine! Their lives are mine! This place is mine! It's time to make every cat here remember that."

Bone and Brick dipped their heads and scurried out of the alley, eager to reclaim their lost power and fearful of what Scourge would do if they failed.

The dark leader skulked under his dumpster and curled his tail around himself. He had worked too hard, literally clawed his way to the top, just to lose it all now. He would rebuild Bloodclan, make it stronger, more bloodthirsty than ever before. An army of cats would be under his command, serving him. Death awaited all who opposed him.

_Twoleg place is mine. I'll make the stones themselves bleed!_

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This is my first Warriors fic. As you can see, it centers around Scourge, Bloodclan, and my own original character. Please review. Give details.


	2. Alleys of Blood

**Alleys of Blood**

**Second chapter is up! This time, there's going to be a good dose of action!**

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Now was the time.

Surprised didn't even begin to cover Blackheart's attitude toward his good fortune. Once he had stepped from the shadows of the back of the pen, two Twoleg kits had immediately snatched him up and cuddled him. For a few frenzied moments, Blackheart had been patted, petted, stroked and nearly squeezed to death in their arms.

Now, he was being carried to the front of the building where the lead Twolegs that imprisoned him rested. The Twoleg kits, along with what Blackheart assumed to be their sires, spoke with his captors, and he was rushed to the back of the building.

_NO! _He wasn't supposed to go back there! Freedom was the other way! The black tom began to hiss and squirm so much that the Twoleg kit nearly dropped him. It stroked and petted and spoke booming soft words that soothed him, though he was still slightly tense. That itself was gone as he saw that they were not placing him in a cage, but leading him to the large, cold table that he was all too familiar with…

Blackheart nearly began to yowl, but held his tongue. He was too close now. _They want me. If they didn't, they would have put me back. Gotta stay calm. I've been here before. There's nothing they can do to me that they already haven't._

Like so many times before, he was placed on the table, poked, prodded, sliced. Humiliated. But this time, there was something new besides being grabbed by Twoleg kits. While in its arms, Blackhearts captors took out a simple red collar and placed it around his neck.

Seconds later, after more booming words, the Twolegs were out in the front and on their way to the door. On the way out, Blackheart caught Anna's eyes as she too was taken by her own Twolegs. He gave her a nod and a mew. _Good luck. _The tabby returned the gesture and buried herself if her owner's bosom happily. Blackheart wished her the best. She'd gotten what she'd wanted, and though he would never say it, she was the closest thing he had ever had to a friend.

His heart thundered; the Twolegs had passed through the door and Blackheart, for the first time in as long as he could remember, was outside. Outside! He could see the dirty bricks that made up Twolegplace, smell the wonderful food, the cats and dogs that roamed, taste the fresh air! It was euphoria.

But he didn't dare lose himself too much. He had managed to get out. Now it was time to make himself free…

Blackheart's face split into a wicked grin as he unsheathed his claws. With a quick swipe of his claws, Blackheart drew long bloody lines on the Twoleg's arms. The result was automatic; the beast dropped him with a yelp and he touched down with the grace befitting all cats. Wasting no time, he sprang away, his long legs powering him from the confused, angry Twolegs.

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Moonhigh. Eluding the Twolegs had been no problem. He had simply ran and hid a good distance away. Now he faced a more serious problem… He was without food, which was why he was padding slowly to conserve energy. But the slower pace meant he would be out in the open longer. He was free game for any rogue that had a mind to fight.

He needed a piece of territory. It was a matter of basic necessity; territory brought food and shelter, which in turn meant he stayed alive. This he knew would pose a larger problem. Twolegplace was not an ideal place to live. From what he had seen during the day, it was a constant struggle just to gain something, let alone keep it. Not to mention the cats that lived here.

_The strays are no problem at all. I can take ant set of lone cats. It's those ones behind the food place that pose the biggest threat… from the looks of things, they're looking to take it all for themselves. If I'm ever going to stake my claim, they have got to go. _

Blackheart stopped his padding, the moon reflecting off of his sleek, black fur. Planting his bottom on the sidewalk, he licked a paw and ran it over his head. _Too much to deal with all at once. I'll figure out how to deal with the rogues later. For now I need to find a place to rest and-_

A yowl sounded from an alleyway and Blackheart sprang back just in time to avoid a cat's claws from raking his flank. He raised his hackles and unsheathed his own claws. Stepping lightly, Blackheart and the tom circled one another. It was a large tom, black and white with a large scar over its face. It looked battle torn, but still strong. He would have to be careful.

Blackheart gave a small lunge toward the tom, startling it, then sprang at it and raked his claws down its side. The tom howled and batted at him with a large paw but Blackheart rolled in time to avoid it. As he sprang up, the tom raced forward and slammed its shoulder into Blackheart, sending him sprawling.

Wasting no time, the tom again rushed forward to land more blows at Blackheart. Up, but still shaken from the tackle, Blackheart was forced back, on the defensive to avoid the large cat's deadly claws. The tom landed a nick on his ear, then another on his shoulder, drawing blood. The loss of body fluid began to drain Blackheart. He hadn't eaten in hours and that, coupled with the battle, was wearing him down quickly.

If he wanted to survive even one night here, he had to get this cat onto the defensive. With a hiss, Blackheart dodged the latest blow and leapt onto the tom's back, latching on with his claws. He opened his mouth wide and clamped onto the behemoth's back, filling his mouth with a small flood of blood. The cat screeched in pain and tried to shake him off, but Blackheart was secured like a vice.

Desperate, the tom rolled onto his back, smothering Blackheart and squishing the air form his lungs. Blackheart tried in vain to wriggle free, but it was in vain; the cat was just too large. He was pinned, but not defenseless! If he couldn't move himself, he'd make the cat move. Again, Blackheart clamped his jaws onto the tom's flesh, eliciting a screech. As expected, the tom rolled off him, but managed to give Blackheart a kick to the head that sent him to the floor bleeding. As his vision spun, the cat approached, swimming in and out of Blackheart's focus.

He felt one of the cat's massive paws press into his chest and his blood ran cold. He was going to die…

_This is it. I tasted freedom for just one day and I'm already about to get killed. _His thoughts held no sadness, only a small bit of black humor. His face broke into a strange, dark grin which made the tom pinning him give him a questioning look. _At least I went out fighting. Gave this cat a few scars to remember. Ha! Who knows? Maybe he'll even speak of this fight to his friends, spread the word…At least that way I'll leave something behind in this bloody stone war zone… _Blackheart closed his eyes, awaiting the death blow…

Instead, he got nails dragging on rock. "Impressive. You managed to hold your own against Bone, and you're just a kittypet…" Surprised, but no less grateful of being alive, Blackheart opened his eyes and looked on as the large tom, Bone, he presumed, looked toward the alley mouth as a thin orange cat with a bare patch of fur on his back walked out behind what Blackheart assumed to be their leader.

The cat itself, a tom, was small, but exuded an aura of death and evil unlike anything Blackheart had ever felt before. His right front paw was pure white and with a chill, Blackheart saw that his claws were reinforced with dog's teeth. The cat wore a collar about his neck that had the teeth of both dogs and cats protruding from it, adding to his fear factor. But perhaps, no definitely the most profound feature of this cat were…

_His…eyes… _

The coldest, iciest blue he had ever seen, those eyes transfixed Blackheart. They expressed, showed him boundless hatred, cruelty, power lust… and for just a split second… something more. This cat was undoubtedly dangerous.

The cat spoke again. "You fight well. What is your name?"

His tongue felt swollen and dumb as he answered. So powerful was this cat's effect on him. "Blackheart," he managed in a breathy tone.

"I am Scourge, leader of Bloodclan. These are my… deputies so to speak, Brick," he nodded to the orange cat. "And Bone." he nodded to the huge tom pinning Blackheart done. Brick nodded down at him, Bone just grunted.

Blackheart breathed and formed his next words carefully. He didn't want to get on this cat's bad side. "Are you the leader here? Those cats, at the food place, they're yours?"

Scourge's face darkened, and for just a moment, Blackheart thought he was done for. But Scourge merely replied, "They should be. But they seem to have forgotten just who this place belongs to. They've forgotten who gave hem security and food, made them strong. They will pay for their betrayal in due time… " He looked down, staring intently at Blackheart. He raised his massive claws over Blackheart's throat, poised to strike and kill.

"In Twolegplace," Scourge began. "You are either with me or against me… Which are you?"

The thundering of his heart apparently gave Bone some sadistic satisfaction, for the large cat grinned savagely down at Blackheart. Blackheart weighed his options. On one hand, he had a clearly dangerous cat that would most likely kill him at any time. He couldn't be trusted.

But on the other hand, he controlled, or at least, he did and would again, Twolegplace. Odds were, he would kill any cat who crossed him. Better for him to stay on his good side…

_Not only that, but I don't know my way around, or how to survive here. Even if I could elude these cats, I would most likely be killed by those others, or starve to death._

Blackheart gazed into Scourge's cold eyes and said, "I'm with you, Scourge."

Satisfied, Scourge nodded to Bone, who stepped off of Blackheart. The instant he did, the claws came down and raked his exposed chest, drawing blood. Blackheart hissed, resisting the urge to spasm and arch.

"Welcome to Bloodclan." Scourge smiled wickedly and lapped the crimson stains from his claws.

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Tell me what you think. What did I do right? Wrong? Ideas? Was Scourge in character? Tell me in a detailed review.


	3. Empty Stomachs and Bleeding Hearts

**Empty Stomachs and Bleeding Hearts**

**Thanks for reading this far! Please continue to read and review. By the way, in your reviews, please leave more than a few words. Give me detail.**

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If nothing else could be said of Twolegplace, it was that it kept you strong and alert. It may be blistering cold one night and sweltering hot the next. The constant change was uncomfortable, but you learned to bear it. Your pads became rough and resistant to the hard streets, your eyes cut through the dark alleyways like daggers. Always alert, always sensing for danger. Be it from a monster turning a corner or one of Stoneclan's warriors, you could never afford to be caught off guard, vulnerable.

The only enemy a cat couldn't escape was the constant gnawing hunger.

"So you're saying that Firestar came back to life." Blackheart's voice echoed out of the overturned trashcan he was digging in. It had been several night since his joining Bloodclan and the tom had quickly gotten into the swing of things.

Daily life included patrols over what little territory they had, foraging for food, and battle training. The food was the most difficult part; live prey was scarce, so it was necessary for them to often go knocking over trashcans to find suitable meals. During these trips, Blackheart had gotten to know his Clanmates better. Both Brick and Bone were competent, fierce fighters. Brick was best at gathering information while Bone was unparallel in doing the dirty work. Not only that, but they both were wells of information.

They told Blackheart of the rules of Bloodclan, the punishment of disobedience, all sorts of things. The two were most proud of their trophies; the teeth that studded their collars and reinforced their claws. Though he envied them their prizes and how they got them, Blackheart was most interested in the story he was hearing now, a most recent one. How they had lost to the Clans in the forest.

Bone nodded and dug into the pile that had spilled onto the alley floor. "Yes that's right. I saw Scourge strike him dead, but minutes later he came back, all his wounds healed. Then he said something about some… Starclan was it? Then with speed unlike anything I'd ever seen, he ran at Scourge and they started fighting for their lives. Firestar came deathly close to biting out Scourge's throat." The large tom gave a purr of satisfaction upon pulling a discarded half eaten hotdog, but grunted seconds later.

He continued with his tale. "After seeing all the blood once Firestar bit his throat, all of Bloodclan thought him dead; blood was coming from the bite marks and he wasn't moving much. I had shaken off all those kits that were attacking me and saw him twitching, hurt, but alive. At that point all of Bloodclan except for myself, Scourge, and Brick were still in the thick of the battle. We knew we couldn't win against the combined numbers of all the forest cats…"

"So you left." Blackheart finished for Bone. The tom nodded and picked the hotdog up in his mouth. A jerk of his head signaled for them to return to the Alley. Blackheart picked up his own prize: a leg of chicken, and flicked Brick across the back with his tail for him to get a move on. The gaunt tom had a pretzel of his own. They didn't bother looking for a fourth article of food. Whatever they brought back, Scourge was more than sure to get a piece of.

Swiveling his ears every few seconds gave Blackheart a small measure of… he wouldn't call it safety, you were never safe in this place, but a sense of assurance. If any Stoneclan tried to sneak up on them, he'd be the first to hear them and alert the others.

They arrived back at their haunt food intact and set it all before their leader. Scourge said nothing but instead crawled from under his dumpster toward the food. He gave no thanks. Nothing but a curt nod of recognition of their success and began to tear into the chicken leg. Blackheart burned with disappointment. He had wanted a taste. As if sensing his feelings, Scourge looked up from his meal and said, " Eat. You're no good to me starved."

Not needing to be told twice, Blackheart lay and clamped his jaws on the portion of leg that Scourge hadn't claimed for himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Brick and Bone with questioning looks on their faces. For a few seconds they stood, contemplative, then shrugged and dug in. As he ate, Blackheart did what had benefited him from the beginning: he thought.

_This is a very impressive cat. The fact that he's lasted as long in this lackluster place is a testament to that. But even though he is strong in the sense that he's a survivor, he's weak in other areas. That weakness is why Bloodclan is the way it is now. Time to change that. _Blackheart tore the last piece of meat from the bone and licked his lips, preparing to speak. "Scourge."

When Blackheart was sure he had the dark cats' attention - along with Bone and Brick's- he continued. "How do you plan on rebuilding Bloodclan? Stoneclan is gaining more ground every day and keeping the majority of the food for themselves. We won't last much longer under these conditions. But you already know this."

Scourge licked his own lips and cut his eyes, but otherwise showed no signs of outward hostility. "From the moment I came into Twolegplace, there has been only one solution. Blood. We will kill and kill until our message is heard. Stoneclan will have a choice: either return to me or perish." His icy eyes scanned his warriors, daring any to doubt his conviction.

"That's counter productive." Before Scourge could growl a response, Blackheart pushed through with his argument. "Bone has informed me of your methods. They're flawed. The cats you used to control flocked to you out of terror, not respect."

Scourge spat, "Fear, respect! There is no difference! They were mine!" His fur bristled, the tiny cat seeming more fearsome than he did moments ago. It did nothing to deter Blackheart.

Blackheart's eyes went from sadness to mild anger. He flicked his tail at Scourge's head, putting all his frustration into it. "There is a difference! Fear only leads to being despised! What kind of force do you have if all of your cats hate you? You saw what happened in the forest and you've seen with your own eyes what's happened here!"

He pressed his muzzle into Scourge's. Their faces were so close that Blackheart could feel the other tom's ragged breath pelting his face. "They hate you Scourge. And I don't know of anybody who would serve a being they despised! Look around! See how alone you truly are!"

With another flick of his tail at Scourge's head, Blackheart turned and stormed out of the alley. An enraged yowl and the screech of metal followed him out.

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There was no moon out tonight. Despite that, the night stars twinkling above Twolegplace gave Blackheart's black pelt an otherworldly sheen to it as he perched in a low windowsill in an alley. Not that he needed the light; his own eyes did a good enough job in the dark. Oh yes, he could see his prey just fine.

After his confrontation with Scourge, Blackheart had taken to the rooftops and scoured the town for Stoneclan. From the ground you could only see what was in front of you. The rooftops offered a much larger and favorable vantage point. The Stoneclan cat had been easy to follow.

Grey with streaks of white, the cat was a young, strong tom. Strong, but cocky. Just from his walk one would have believed that just because he was a member of Stoneclan that Twolegplace was less of a danger to him than to other cats who were not. Blackheart had bristled when he saw that swagger. Overconfidence was a good way to get killed. As he slinked to the ground from the sill, Blackheart's anger returned. He resolved to teach this cat the error of his ways. He could contemplate his errors in the next world.

Padding silently, Blackheart's long legs brought him within striking distance in just a few strides. From his position, he saw the tom wrestling with something in the corner. Probably a mouse. For a few frenzied moments, the cat fought playfully with his food, unaware that he himself was soon to be prey. Blackheart crouched and tensed.

The tom reared up happily, the dead mouse hanging from his muzzle by its tail. That was all the signal needed. Blackheart surged forth like a streak of darkness and clamped his jaws around the tom's throat. Panicked, the tom struggled and writhed, but only succeeded in tearing his own throat on his captor's teeth. With a wet rip, Blackheart tore away a chunk of the tom's throat. Within seconds, the cat was floored, his eyes fearful and confused. His last words were a garbled gurgle of blood from the gaping hole in his neck.

The deed done, Blackheart spat out the flesh in his maw and hastily devoured the mouse. He had no desire to be caught with a dead body in Stoneclan territory.

"Hypocrite."

_What a surprise._

"You dare to question my methods, yet here you are, killing and stealing from these traitors as if I had ordered you to myself." Scourge stepped form the shadows with a glare. He cast a contemptuous glance at the fallen tom and said, "How is this any different from what I have done?"

If he had heard the accusation in Scourge's words, Blackheart didn't show it. Instead, he licked the blood from his muzzle and replied, "This was done for survival. Besides, this tom should have known better than to walk around here alone. His death was his own fault."

"You didn't answer my question. How is this any different?" The cat slinked forward, menace in every step.

"You'd attack me while my back was turned, Scourge?" Deprived of the anger, the note of sadness had entered Blackheart once more. "That's low, even for a cat like you."

"You are no better!" Scourge hissed. "You yourself have just taken a life, and for a mere scrap of a mouse!"

Blackheart finally turned, but his gaze held no anger. Only sadness and emptiness. "This was done out of necessity. Everything you do is done out of needless cruelty. That is your problem Scourge."

He padded until he and the dark leader were but a paw's length away from each other. "You have no sense of restraint. You're compelled by your bloodlust to the point that you lash out in cruelty at every turn, treating even your own allies as if they were enemies. Eventually, that is what they became. Use your strength to become leader, but use your head to stay that way. Otherwise you'll end up dead a lot faster."

After that little speech, Blackheart expected Scourge to be frothing at the mouth and tearing into him with those monstrous claws. But instead, the tiny cat had his head cast down in thought. Not scared to fight, but not willing to physically provoke Scourge, Blackheart waited.

The first laugh came so quietly that Blackheart barely heard it. The next was like a choking sound, an untested voice after months of being mute. Moments later, Scourge's soft laughter echoed through the narrow alley.

Scourge's laughter died and he stared into Blackheart's dark brown eyes with his own icy ones. "I've never met a cat quite like you in Twolegplace before. This place is caked with blood and cruelty, yet you say that it is the wrong way. What do you suggest, that I rule through love and compassion?"

This time it was Blackheart's turn to bark out a laugh. "You and every cat here knows that you lack the capacity for that. No, what I suggest is that you rule this place in the fashion that's required, but do it using common sense. Fear and bloodshed isn't enough. But it's up to you Scourge. You can either rule as you do now and drive Bloodclan into oblivion, or take a different approach and survive. What's your choice?"

Blackheart's muscled tightened under his pelt as scourge stepped forward. Instead of attacking however, Scourge instead padded past him and stood in front of the tom's corpse. Scourge raised his claws and with a quick swipe reamed the two top canines from the cat's mouth.

Scourge scooped the teeth into his mouth and padded to Blackheart, dropping them both to the ground. Scourge pushed down on Blackheart's head with his tail and Blackheart lowered it. Scourge then picked up one of the teeth and leaned in close, enough that his head was buried in Blackheart's upper body, and pushed the tooth under and through the collar. He then repeated the process for the second tooth.

With a twist of his neck Blackheart beheld his trophies. Clouted with blood as they were, the teeth still managed to gleam when the starlight hit them just right. A rumbling purr sounded through him, signaling his pleasure to Scourge. On an impulse, Blackheart leaned over and nuzzled Scourge lightly. Scourge stiffened, unaccustomed to affection after so much harshness in life, but did nothing to prevent it.

"Come" The dark cat padded out of the alley, Blackheart a few paws behind him. "We have much to prepare for. We have to gather more food and intensify training. I doubt Stoneclan will appreciate this new addition to their territory.

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Longest chapter so far! I hope the action was good enough. That little bit of nuzzling is the first in a line of acts that will hopefully lead to romance. Please review! Give details. Thanks for reading!


	4. Face of the Enemy

**The Face of the Enemy**

**Thanks for sticking with me this far. The title is pretty self explanatory.**

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Though nobody would see it in his face, Blackheart prided himself on the new development he had initiated within BloodClan; Rooftop Patrol. By skirting and jumping along the rooftops, they were able to cover greater amounts of terrain than if they were on the ground. The best advantage was the one afforded over StoneClan. The power to see without being seen. That it was Blackheart's idea to begin with almost made him feel giddy. Almost.

Brick and Bone had given him skeptical looks when he presented his plan to the clan. He wasn't surprised. They all had natural climbing ability but had no actual use for perching on rooftops. All the food was in the streets, not the sky. Even Scourge had scoffed at the idea. Blackheart had anticipated the response but when he mentioned the advantage of spying, everything changed. Scourge ordered them all to the roofs immediately.

That had been days ago. They had spent their time getting used to the new terrain and trying not to die. Aside from a slight misstep that nearly landed Bone in an alley of dogs, they adapted quite well.

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Scourge was in front, Bone and Brick to his sides with Blackheart taking up the rear. In this position they were able to see from all fronts as they scanned around them. Not that they needed to. No other cat was up with them , but it paid to be careful.

"We're nearing the Twoleg food place. Remain on your guard." The other three cats nodded in affirmation and silently bound after Scourge as he crossed the gap between a building adjacent to the food place. Blackheart absentmindedly admired how such a creature could hold so much power inside a body so small. One by one the BloodClan cats strode to the edge of the building and carefully placed their heads above the ledge to peer down into the back alleys of the food place.

The well of sadness inside Blackheart deepened into a vortex of cold despair. It was worse than what he'd seen when he came into Twolegplace. Worse than what he'd imagined…

From what he had seen for himself and heard from Bone, Blackheart surmised that their enemy was just a large group of starved cats held under a loose grip under one leader teetering on the edge of chaos. This was the complete opposite; the cats down in the large alleys were focused, well-fed and organized. Trash cans and pieces of cloth have been moved to designate a sleeping area. In another part there was a pile a morsels so vast that it made Blackheart's stomach howl. But what really struck him to the core was that what he was witnessing was an army of cats.

To and fro they marched, conversing, training in the specified areas, resting, or scheduling patrols. So many were there that the sheer number threatened to clog the pathways that shaped the alleys.

Heart heavy with a despair he was too familiar with, Blackheart tore his gaze away from their enemy and over to his own clan. Brick had a ghastly look expression about him, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing, horrified at what they were seeing. Bone tried his best to put on his usual tough face, but even that was strained. Scourge himself fared the best of them all.

His face held no sadness, no fear, only rage. Teeth bared, fur bristling, claws gouging into the stone of the ledge, Scourge looked every bit the terrible monster that his lieutenants had described him as. His cold blue eyes narrowed dangerously as he beheld the goings on below.

_Strange… His ferocity… gives me comfort? _Whatever Blackheart would have thought next was cut off by a hiss of loathing from Scourge. Turning his head, Blackheart could see why.

From the sides of the largest most blanket covered can came a dark tabby tom with equally dark eyes and a white tom with sharp blue eyes. Both had collars studded with dog and cat's teeth and had claw strengthened with dog's teeth. _Snake and Ice,_ thought Blackheart grimly. _Former members of Scourge's elite guard. _

The two brothers yowled simultaneously and all action in the alley ceased. Every eye and ear turned to the can the brothers stood in front of as they turned and bowed to the cat that emerged. She was a creature with a pelt the color of rust, with streaks of bone white going down her back. Her eyes were a dark yellow. Her gait showcased her confidence and strength as leader, magnified by the shine that could be seen in all of StoneClan's pelts. She briefly brushed against both the brothers as she walked by, seating herself in full view of every cat. Scanning the crowd, she nodded her approval and yowled to the sky. A chorus of cries sounded with her.

When the cries died the mysterious she cat spoke. "Cats of StoneClan! When we first began, we were nothing but a gaggle of strays and loners battling fruitlessly over meager meals." The cats nodded grimly at the memories of hardship. "Behold now what we have made ourselves! We are strong, we are fed, we are many! We flourish and grow, and with us, our power over Twolegplace. Even the stray dogs now give us respect!"

Blackheart flattened his ears as yowls of jubilation sounded once more. From inside the crowd a cat yelled, "Thanks to you, Sinew! You have given us strength!"

"Sinew! Sinew! Sinew!" From the youngest to the most aged cats, the crowd chanted and their leader silently basked in their reverence.

The cries quieted and Sinew spoke once more. This time, her voice was grave and angered. "However there is a shadow among us. One that chokes the life that we have made in our home. The shadow of BloodClan!" Instantly, the cats yowled and screeched in anger, fear and loathing at the very mention of the cats that were only a rooftop above them.

From the corner of his eye, Blackheart, along with Brick and Bone, observed the response of their dark leader. Still loathing but attentive. He showed no signs of leaving. Sinew pressed on.

"Under BloodClan control, every day was a grim reminder of the suffering we had to endure! We had little food, could not care for the sick and wounded, could not even find comfort in our loved ones! Worst of all, we lived in constant fear under the tyranny of Scourge!"

If the cries earlier had been mildly deafening, they were completely earsplitting now. Snake an Ice screeched the loudest of the army, no doubt grieving for their sister and the pain Scourge had ordered them to inflict on her.

"Several night ago, patrols happened upon the corpse of Steel." A loud sob wrenched from a pale gray she cat in the crowd. "His throat was slashed, and his fangs reamed from his mouth! Do you see? Scourge is dead, yet BloodClan lives, carrying on the will of that monster! They must be destroyed! The tyranny of BloodClan will never return!"

As if unable to bear any more, Scourge wrenched himself from the ledge and stalked hatefully away. Blackheart, Bone and Brick followed suit, the rage of a legion of cats echoing across the roofs.

---

Once again, Blackheart found himself in the position of being looked at as if he were insane.

Brick was the first to speak. "What you're suggesting.. It's a sign of weakness."

Blackheart snorted. "Compared to them, we are weak. You saw the number of cats in those alleys. That was an army. The four of us have no chance of winning a battle against them all."

Bone raked his claws along the concrete. "I can see your point, but running and hiding like scared kits? By doing that, we're admitting defeat. I'd rather die fighting!"

Blackheart regarded Bone with a tilt of his head and a hard gaze. "Do you remember how you told me that those apprentices in the forest came upon you? They were going to kill you quickly. To the cats behind the food place, you are Scourge's right paw. Do you think they will allow you the luxury of a quick death?" That shut Bone up.

Blackheart then turned his attention to Scourge who sat perched on his usual spot. He looked directly into the icy eyes he had come to admire so much and said, "I know that you hate the idea of giving up any piece of this place to them, but what choice do we have? Most of those cats are former members of BloodClan. The first place they're going to check is this alley."

"Do you suggest we run like cowards?" Scourge restrained none of the contempt for this recent turn of events, or Blackheart's proposal. "Give up?"

"No, I suggest we keep hidden and formulate a plan!" The anger in Blackheart surged once more. When would Scourge understand?! Didn't he see how much danger they were in? "It's exactly as I said Scourge. Those cats despise you; you heard them yourself! We have to leave this alley and find a new place to live, at least for now."

"And where would we find this new home? What portion of Twolegplace could we possibly inhabit that is safe from the Twolegs, Blackheart?"

This was the hard part. There was only one place that was near guaranteed to grant them safety for the time being. The problem was getting Scourge to agree. Blackheart inhaled and said, "Amongst the Twolegs themselves."

Once again, the look that said he was crazy. "All of you, come with me." He leapt to the top of the dumpster and then up and along the edges of a fence where he jumped onto a rooftop. Scourge was the first to appear beside him, then Bone and Brick. He nodded towards a particular Twoleg den and began, "StoneClan may be powerful, but they still fear Twolegs. They won't go near the for risk of being caught or killed. But I've found a place full of Twolegs that will do neither. They seem not to be a threat, plus they seem to have a mouse problem, which should sit well with us."

Scourge was still skeptical. "How do you know these Twolegs won't harm us?"

A mirthless laugh found it's way past Blackheart's lips. "Believe me, I know which ones mean you harm and which don't. But that's not the issue, is it?" His tone became a mix of question and sadness. "Are you afraid Brick? Bone? Scourge? Do you trust my judgment so little that you'd choose death over it?" He looked to them, the ultimatum in the air. They could either trust his judgment or choose death.

Finally, Brick spoke. "There will be food? It can keep us alive?"

"Yes." Blackheart looked to Bone. He could see the large tom had already made up his mind.

Still he shrugged. "It's up to Scourge."

At last, the long legged cat's gaze rested on Scourge, who stared in return. _Bone and Brick won't go without you Scourge. Neither will I. _"Do you trust me Scourge?"

"What does that matter?" The dark leader hissed.

"Everything. Without trust, all you've got is a band of cats that will abandon you. Now, do you trust me?"

"…Yes."

Blackheart let loose a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Somehow, hearing those words gave him a warm buzz in his chest. It felt… nice.

Scourge gave a lick to his paw and shouldered past Blackheart. He turned and announced, "BloodClan, move out. We have much ground to cover before nightfall."

With that, the dark leader lead the way to BloodClan's new home. As the sky darkened and the sun sank, the crossed sticks at the top of the Twoleg nest casts a shadow upon the cats as they glide in the darkening sky.

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Sorry the update took so long. Writer's block. I feel like I was out of it for this chapter. Tell me what's right, wrong, good and bad about this one. I want to get in the groove, make it better for you guys! The best way is for you all to review! By the way, any tips to make this more romantic would be great!


	5. Heart of Darkness

**Heart of Darkness Pt.1**

**Disclaimer: Warriors and all related characters therein are not mine.**

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**This is one of the first chapters that focuses on events from Scourge's viewpoint and how he feels. He might seem out of character but it's not intentional; it's to make him more believable for the story.**

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If ever there was an emotion Scourge hated, it was fear. It fooled the body and clouded the mind. It made you weak and gave others - whether real or imaginary - power over you. To him there was nothing more disgusting.

He had only felt fear few times before in his life. The first was when his sister, Ruby told him that he would have been thrown in the river. The second time Scourge had felt that dreaded emotion, Tigerstar, then Tigerclaw, had beaten him nearly to death. The last time he'd ever felt fear was when he had faced the dog after his arrival in what would become his domain.

Looking back on it all now, Scourged scoffed at the memories. He had been neither drowned or killed and had risen to power by besting said fears. But now…

Scourge arose and stretched on the hard wooden floor of the Twoleg den they had come to inhabit only a few hours earlier. Several stories high, they had had to climb more than they had thought, but in the end Blackheart's decision to move there had proven wise. They were warm, mice littered the place, and they had a safe hideaway from StoneClan. But…

Though Scourge was loathe to admit it, Blackheart frightened him immensely. The cat was strong and fast. He managed to hold his own against Bone in a weakened condition on his first night. Scourge saw from observation that Blackheart's speed was his greatest asset; he could move in, slash you a few times, then practically float several feet away from you before you could even recover.

His intelligence was another factor. It had been he that had come up with the idea for rooftop patrol. Then he had found them a new territory.

Scourge silently padded past Bone and Brick where they lay together on the wooden floor. If he was one to laugh, he would have. Since the day they had first come to him, those two were inseparable. Eating, sleeping, talking, even sharing tongues, they did it all together. As tough as they were to survive in the place they called home, it couldn't disguise the fact that they were friends to the core.

Churning inside him, the familiar feeling of envy resurfaced. In Twolegplace it is a dog eat dog - or cat eat cat - life. Everyone out for themselves. A 'friend' could turn out to be someone who only spent time with you to claw you to death then steal your food. Fear and strength were the only ways to not only survive, but thrive.

The dark cat grimaced as he sat before the source of his agitation. _I tried ruling through fear and power and this is where it brought me and what remains of my Clan. _

"_**Fear only leads to being despised!"**_

Inside his black heart, Scourge's anger curdled. Blackheart had been right. The cats that had made up his Clan may have feared him enough to stay, but they hated him so much more that they had fled when the first chance arrived.

"_**They hate you Scourge. And I don't know of anybody who would serve a being they despised! Look around! See how alone you truly are!"**_

Rage and anguish tore through Scourge, threatening to rip his chest open, to make him yowl, make him screech, make him kill…

With eyes as cold as leafbare, Scourge raised his claw over Blackheart's throat. One swipe was all it would take…

"_**You have no sense of restraint. You're compelled by your bloodlust to the point that you lash out in cruelty at every turn, treating even your own allies as if they were enemies. Eventually, that is what they became. Use your strength to become leader, but use your head to stay that way. Otherwise you'll end up dead a lot faster."**_

The horrible paw lowered with a sigh. Scourge hated the way things were. He hated his cats for leaving. He hated Sinew for taking control and forcing them into hiding. Most of all, he hated that Blackheart held sway over him.

With just a few words the tom could turn his rage into reason, make him see the light where there was only darkness to him. Blackheart could turn hopelessness into survival, doubt into support.

Worst of all, with every act that brought them closer to reclaiming Twolegplace, Blackheart was slowly sinking his claws into a part of Scourge that he thought he had killed long ago.

And that fact about Blackheart frightened him more than anything else ever had.

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Thanks for reading. I thought abut making it longer, but I decided to cut it off lest it become dull. Tell me what you think.


	6. Survival

**Survival**

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**Sorry I haven't updated in months. School, work, the whole lot kept me busy. Here's a nice, bloody treat to make up for it!**

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Scourge lashed his tail dangerously over Blackheart's shoulders. "I expect that you have a plan to deal with StoneClan properly?"

Blackheart dipped his head. "Yes. The cats here know that BloodClan still exists. What is needed now is to remind them that Twolegplace belongs still to BloodClan."

The sleek tom slinked to the window leading out toward Twolegplace and stood before it, his shadow covering his comrades as it lengthened. He beckoned them forth with a swish of his tail. Of the three, Scourge complied the most quickly; he hated being in anybody's shadow.

Seated, Bone and Brick at his left, Scourge on his right, Blackheart asked, "What is more powerful than a leader that is feared?"

"Nothing," said Bone gruffly.

Brick replied, "A wise leader is most poweful."

Blackheart nodded. "True, but that's only half the answer. What else makes a powerful leader?"

"Respect."

The three cats turned toward their leader, Brick and Bone with surprised looks on their faces, Blackheart with a look of subdued pride. Scourge went on.

"Fools are easily taken advantage of and fear... does not last. Respect is the only way to keep control." He turned towards Blackheart, his face inches from the other tom's. "Am I correct?"

Blackheart purred in answer. "Yes. Wisdom and respect make are what make a good leader. Now, Brick, Bone, do we respect Scourge?"

The two cats nodded without a second thought.

"Good." Turning to Scourge he asked, "Will you be wise, and trust us?"

"Only if you are a benefit to the Clan. Lead us to ruin and I will kill you myself." Scourge licked his claws to reaffirm his point.

Blackheart purred once again. "Understood. But I have no intention of leading, Scourge. That's your job. I'm only here to give counsel and action."

"Then what was the point of all those questions?" grunted Bone, agitated at the lack of action being taken. He wanted to recalim Twolegplace quickly, else they get rooted out and killed.

In the same calm monotone, Blackheart replied, "The point was to make you all see that without wisdom or a wealth of respectable qualities, a leader is nothing. Without those qualities, the followers would eventually turn against their leader."

Scourge's eyes of ice lit in realization. "So if we arrange things in such a manner that Sinew appears to be incapable as leader.."

"... then the cats will abandon her and have no choice but to return to you, Scourge," Blackheart finished, obviously pleased with his plan. _He is coming along faster than I anticipated. He may be leader again yet._

Brick broke through their conversation. "A brilliant plan, but how do we start it?"

It was Bone who answered, pleased as well. "Simple. What's the most important thing to have in Twolegplace? Even more than a home?"

"Food." They all answered simultaneously.

Scourge rounded the other three and stood before them. "BloodClan, we now have a means of reclaiming what is ours. From now until sundown sharpen your claws and hunt for mice. Tonight, we begin our raids on StoneClan." The three cats dipped their heads and began to scatter about the Twoleg den to prepare.

As he passed his leader, Scourge spoke out. "Blackheart, with me." Blackheart said nothing, but merely followed Scourge out and onto the window ledge.

As they watched the two cats exit, Brick gave a snort and Bone a laugh.

Brick shook his head. " I never thought Scourge to take advice from anyone. He seemed more the cat to spurn what others thought, no matter the cost."

Bone gave another laugh, like gravel. "Blackheart is sure making things more interesting. I'm just itching to see what kind of rule those two bring about here."

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Blackheart hopped onto the ledge of the last windowsill that allowed a jump to the adjacent building. He shouldered in agaist Scourge to take up as little space as possible. _Not that it would be much of a problem. The one advanage os Scourge's size is that there's plenty of room for myself. But better to be wise than dead. _"You wanted to speak, Scourge?"

Scourge didn't answer immediately, but gave a small twitch from their close proximity. For a minute, the dark cat just stared over the morning horizon. Finally, he said, "You are strange."

"How so?"

"All these plans, your skills, your intelligence... You could match and probably even kill me if you wanted." Scourge looked Blackheart in the eye and asked, "Why don't you?"

Blackheart gave his chest a lick before he answered. "All I want is freedom. Food, a home, the power to stay or go as I please. Power holds no interest for me."

Shaking his head, Scourge gave a mirthless laugh. "If you wanted freedom, then why stay here, with us? Why not leave Twolegplace?"

It was Blackheart's turn to laugh without joy this time. "I guess you could say I'm... afraid... I cant' leave, not because I don't want to, but because I don't know what's out there, in the world. Better for me to stay here, where I know what dangers to expect, than to go out and get killed the next morning."

"You could still die the next day here."

Blackheart nodded. "True, but at least staying with you gives me a greater chance of survival."

Scourge frowned, not from anger, but confusion. "You mean BloodClan, correct?"

The other dark tom shook his head. "No. You."

All of a sudden, Scourge felt nauseous. Sick, but strangely warm and sluggish. It felt... good?

His tongue heavy, he asked, "Your chances of survival would be greater with the Twolegs you abandoned. Do you regret leaving them?"

"No." He turned towards Scourge. "Do you regret taking me?"

"Not yet."

With nothing else to say, the dark cats looked towards the rising sun their thoughts a mystery.

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Hope you liked that chapter. I'm terribly sorry, had a bit of a block. Tell me what you thought in a review. The more the better.


	7. Pretty Brown Eyes

**Pretty Brown Eyes**

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Thanks for you, my faithful readers, for sticking with me this far! This is a nice Christmas treat for you!

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Night blanketed Twolegplace. There was a hard chill in the air.

Blackheart gave a small purr. A perfect night for a raid.

The moon shone from behind Scourge as he stood in the window. The stark contrast of light and the darkness in the room made his fur seem even darker than it actually was. With his black pelt, cold eyes and battle trophies glinting in the moonlight, he looked as if he was not of this world. Blackheart found it quite alluring.

While he was well aware that his fascination with the dark leader was outside the norm for relations, Blackheart could have cared less. He was determined to take every small ounce of good out of Twolegplace that he could; that included becoming closer to Scourge. He only hoped that the cat would reciprocate in time.

"BloodClan" Scourge stared at them with conviction. "Let us begin." Without a word, he turned onto the windowsill and made his way to the ledge. Within seconds all of BloodClan was onto the adjacent building and flying through the night, shadows against the sky.

Keeping pace easily with his long legs, strode alongside his leader, striking up conversation as he went. "Are you prepared?"

Leaping lively over a ledge onto another rooftop, Scourge answered with confidence. "Yes. Are you? Questions like that are often a sign of a fearful heart."

"I am merely being cautious." Blackheart sailed over another precipice with amazing grace. "Be assured, I will not cower."

Scourge paused before the jump to the roof overlooking StoneClan's territory and turned to his Clan. Though he spoke as if to the whole, his eyes never left Blackheart's. "Bone, Brick. Rush them from the side as we planned and draw away as many as you can. While they are distracted, Blackheart and I will descend after and attack."

Bone asked, "Should we fight?"

"No," Blackheart said. "There will be far too many. Just distract them, run them around the place until you hear a long yowl. That will signify that Scourge and I were successful. Or that we failed. Regardless, as soon as you hear it, break away and return to the haunt."

"I don't feel comfortable leaving you two to fend for yourselves out here." Brick paced up to Scourge. "Will this plan truly work?"

Scourge narrowed his eyes in slight frustration, but remained clam otherwise. "Worry over you own safety. Blackheart and I are capable. Now go!"

Brick frowned but jumped ahead with urging from Bone. The toms disappeared below the next building's lip.

"You handled that surprisingly well Scourge." Blackheart jumped to the next building over and sauntered to the middle, awaiting the chaos soon to follow.

"It is… strange. It has been moons since another has shown something to me other than fear. Concern from another is something I will have to readjust to."

A mirthless chuckle found its way past Blackheart's lips. "Are you truly such a stranger to positive emotions?"

"No more than you yourself are." He walked to Blackheart's side, brushing pelts. "In all the time you've been here, I sense no emotions other than sadness or anger in you. The way you walk, the way you talk. You're an empty being Blackheart."

For a few moments, Blackheart said nothing. His eyes closed. Slivers of sadness slid in his chest; Scourge was right. In all his life, he had never once known any form of happiness or contentment. It hurt… He wished that Brick and Bone would hurry, start the raid, give him a distraction from the pain.

Fur pressed onto his chest. He twitched, swiveled his head down.

"Don't move." An order.

He stiffened immediately.

"Wh-"

"Silence." He shut up. A tail around his body.

With his head buried in Blackheart's chest and his tail wrapped around the other tom, Scourge stood them both still under the moonlight. He didn't understand why, but he knew that this had to be done.

Blackheart had been helping him to lead. It was Scourge's turn to teach this cat to live.

A shriek and subsequent yowls sounded from below; it had started.

Before pulling away Scourge muttered against the larger tom's chest.

"Show me your passion. Live for me, in this battle." Then in a more in character tone, "I order you." He jumped below.

Heart thundering, Blackheart stared into the sky, then jumped over the edge into the battle below.

His heart burned…

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The crunch of bones and flesh cushioned Blackheart's fall. The poor cat didn't suffer. Not that Blackheart would have cared either way. With a yowl he barreled into a cat in front, rolled, then sprinted for the trash cans in the other section of the camp. Yowling filled his ears from all sides. They were panicked, frantic. As he jumped aside to dodge an attack from a brown tabby, he saw that the numbers were greatly diminished. Good. The less there were, the easier the mission.

Unsheathing his claws, Blackheart surged forward and slashed at every cat that came his way. His main targets were the eyes. Most cats backed off; nobody wanted to lose an eye. Some stood up, but quickly recoiled, shrieking , blood rolling down their faces.

Finally, he came to the storage. A few small kits stood before him, but he simply sheathed his claws and batted them away. He wouldn't want to hurt them too badly. When his eyes came upon the food, he froze in amazement.

Chicken, hot dogs, chips dripping with sauce. All types of morsels were thrown in. It was a treasure trove… He leant forward. His teeth barely caught onto a chicken leg before a jaw clamped onto his tail and he was pulled out and thrown back into the fray.

Sprawled on the ground, Blackheart was pinned before he could even gain footing. A furious hiss sparked in his ears. A paw batted him across his right eye, drawing blood. He shook his head to slide the blood from his eye and gazed into the eyes of his attacker.

Dark yellow. Fur of rust.

Sinew!

She yowled in fury. "Halt your attack monster! Surrender and leave us, else I'll ruin both of these pretty brown eyes! You will die next."

She poised a claw above his face to show that the threat was not idle. From his position, Blackheart could see Scourge and every other cat in the camp witnessing Sinew's threat. The dark cat's fur stood on end, his hackles raised in fury. Blood ran down him, dripping from every hair, as if he had bathed in an ocean of the fluid. His teeth were pulled back in fury, eyes like daggers. His claws had as much blood as the rest of him, plus bits of flesh on them.

_If he's fought as viciously as he looks, then there's no way he will surrender. _Blackheart's heart sank. _But he cannot win either. He must surrender. He must!_

But despite Blackheart's silent plea, he could see it was wasted. Scourge's muscles tensed as he prepared to leap at Sinew.

No! Scourge could not attempt to fight. There was no doubt they would kill him. Blackheart could not allow that to happen!

"Scourge!" He yowled with all his might. "Leave me!"

A purr of amusement above him. "Sacrificing yourself for this monster? Humph! A cat such as you is wasted on him…" Sinew leaned down and to the horror of every cat in the fray, she licked the blood from his face. "I have seen you. You are a fierce warrior. Renounce Scourge, pledge your loyalty to me. Be mine."

A bloodcurdling shriek of pure loathing cut through he night; a thousand nails dragging on rocks.

"He belongs to ME!" Scourge's muscles bunched, ready for the kill. Blackheart was his! How dare that filth claim him! Haw dare she!?

"Scourge, stop! Leave me!"

Scourge's eyes flashed at Blackheart in disbelief. "You are BloodClan! You are mine!"

"Don't be foolish! I'm no good to BloodClan dead. Without you, there is no BloodClan at all! Remember what I said. Be wise! Don't let your anger rule you! Now go! Live, so you can fight another day."

The dark leader trembled in rage, in despair, overwhelmed.

Blackheart's voice was but a whisper now. "Please… Live for me now… so that you can save me another night."

Raggedly breathing, Scourge bowed his head, torn.

"Please!"

With a yowl, Scourge tore from the spot and raced into the streets. The yowls of victory rang from StoneClan as he sprinted for the haunt.

With each step that he took from Blackheart, the agony increased for them both.

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Sorry if this was too romantic or over-dramatic. As I was writing, I realized that this story didn't have enough drama or action. Hence the input. Tell me what you thought.

Thanks for reading. Please review.


	8. Heart of Darkness: Despair

**Heart of Darkness: **

**Despair**

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**Thanks for sticking with me this far. Here is another Scourge central chapter for your patience. Be warned; Scourge may seem a little out of character. Also, this installment will be super short.**

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Sunlight bled into the haunt. In it, the shadows of three cats darkened and grew.

The events prior had all but drained BloodClan of the vitality it had once displayed. Brick was distraught, hunched in misery. Bone couldn't even bring himself to fake bravado.

Out of all three, Scourge fared the worst. He merely sat, trembling. But no rage fueled him. He was cold. With Blackheart gone, with no rage or hate to incense the fires of his soul, the ice in his veins had begun to freeze him alive.

"Scourge?"

The dark cat opened his eyes. He hadn't even realized he'd closed them…

Bone inhaled deeply. "What can we do?" The huge cat's shoulders slumped, the battle clean out of him. Brick padded forward and draped his tail over the other tom's shoulders.

Scourge closed his eye once more. He couldn't look at them, his Clan. Not like that. Not when it was incomplete. But neither could he rebuke their questions. An answer was the least he owed them.

"…Thank you."

The cats before Scourge blinked in disbelief at the words that had just come out of his mouth. Scourge felt a small twinge that may have been laughter. It seemed as though Blackheart had impacted his character more than any of them had realized.

He pressed on. "You have stayed. You have fought and bled for me. StoneClan… they call me abomination, monster. Only a fool would say that I was otherwise. But still you stayed, the both of you…"

The dark leader swallowed. "I have no orders for you. Only a request." A sob wracked him then. The ice in his veins grew colder and he struggled to speak.

"Help me…" his voice nearly a whisper.

_Help me to save the one I…_

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Tell me what you think. It's different from the first Scourge central chapter, but I'm pressed for time. Tell me how to improve in a review.


	9. Prisoner

**Prisoner**

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Thanks for reading this far. It means a lot. Enjoy. Also, there's a poll in my profile for those who want to decide a tiny piece of the story.

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Blackheart was stoic at the chaos around him. The raid had passed, but the effects were still being felt among StoneClan. Cats were hurt, counting their wounded. Many others were dead; Scourge was as vicious as ever. He himself was their prisoner.

But that didn't mean he had to make it easy. As a matter of fact, his very presence had sparked an outburst…

Sinew barked, "Snake, Ice, hold her back!" The twin toms needn't have been told another time. They were expending all effort to keep back a pale gray she-cat. But she was adamant; yowling, hissing in pure hate at Blackheart.

"Let me go! I have to avenge Steel! He killed my mate!" With a burst of strength, she surged past Snake and Ice and bounded straight for Blackheart. Sinew was quicker. The rust colored she-cat leapt in her way and gave her a kick that sent her sprawling to the edge of the crowd of cats that had gathered around them. Snake and Ice pinned her with their paws, awaiting orders.

"Lay her down in the nursery." Sinew turned a steely gaze to Blackheart. "She's nursing kits after all. Too much stress with be detrimental to her and her offspring." She faced the crowd. "The rest of you, learn well from Chrome's mistake. Disobedience will not be tolerated! This tom is not to be touched. Understood?"

The crowd gave some disapproving glances, but ultimately gave way to Sinew's authority. Once they began to disperse, Sinew turned to her captive.

"Come with me." She turned to her den, Snake and Ice sidling up next to Blackheart on either side, guiding him.

Unfazed by the revelation, Blackheart followed. What choice did he have?

The she-cat pushed aside the cover draping over the entrance to her den and bade Blackheart forth. As soon as his tail passed through, Sinew turned to her lieutenants. "I am not to be disturbed unless it is an emergency." The cover fell and the brothers stationed themselves outside.

---

The inside was, Blackheart observed, extravagant. The floor of the den was covered in what appeared to be a soft covering, similar to the drape over the entrance. At the back lay a huge pillow, purple with yellow lace, with a smaller, red pillow in front. Beside the pillows lay a small assortment of food.

Sinew paced to the larger pillow and curled upon it. She nodded at the smaller pillow. Blackheart strode and placed himself before her. They stared at each other, assessing, probing.

"Why did you prevent that she-cat from attacking me?"

Sinew's ear flicked. "As I said, she is pregnant. We cannot risk the lives of her or her kits in an act of vengeance."

"You didn't answer my question. I was not the one at risk, nor would I have attacked. Why did you shield me?"

The leader closed her dark yellow eyes. When she reopened them, she stared straight into the dark cat's. "Your pain wouldn't solve anything. Now, why did you kill Steel?"

_She gave me a response, but not an answer. If that's the way she plays… _"What was he doing in the middle of the night without even another cat to watch his tail?"

"True, it was foolish behavior, and he would have been punished. But," she glared at the tom, "what were YOU doing on StoneClan territory?"

"Hunting."

The leader gave a harsh laugh, and gave a paw a lick. "You're awfully forward for someone that is a prisoner."

"And you are confident for someone who has a vendetta against them from Scourge."

Sinew's eyes flashed. "That monster will be dealt with in time. You however, are a more pressing matter."

Blackheart folded his tail over his forepaws. "Do I threaten you, Sinew?"

She smirked. "You empower me, actually."

Stunned, the dark cat was speechless.

"You see," Sinew pressed. "I saw the look in your eyes last night. The desperation, the despair, the _love_." At the last word, she gave a disgusted sneer. "I didn't think it possible, that monster receiving affection form anyone. But he has yours, doesn't he?"

_I've got to turn this around somehow… Get her on the defensive… _He swallowed. "Haven't you ever loved? I heard once that it was blind. What should it matter if he is a tom?"

A horrible snicker. "I never said anything about his being a tom being a problem. I just hate him in general; he deserves no love, not after what he's done…" She squeezed her eyes shut and quivered. "Not after what he did to…"

She clenched a paw and glared at Blackheart, fury in her eyes. "No matter; it's in the past now, it can't be undone. But Scourge will be punished. I'll punish him, with you."

Anger flared within Blackheart. "Don't you hurt him." His voice was silky, yet menacing. "I'll make you suffer if you harm him in any way."

"I'm not going to hurt him. You are."

Blackheart spat in disgust. "You're insane if you think I will hurt him."

"Fool!" Sinew spat. "Your feelings mean nothing! It's his that are the key. He loves you, you know. I saw it in his eyes! But… Does he love you enough to die for you? By you?"

Blackheart's mind reeled, both from hope that Sinew was speaking the truth, and dread of what she was insinuating.

The rust pelted cat pressed on, her eyes alighting with glee at every word. "We will find him. We'll drag him here by the tail if we have to! Then, we'll see just how much he loves you… When he is forced to fight for his life against you!"

Blackheart's heart froze, as if squeezed by a vice. Dread crushed him, suffocated him. "No…"

Sinew padded from her pillow and brushed past him gently. The feel of her silken fur made Blackheart sicker. Just at the exit, she turned, a cruel gleam in her eyes.

"He does love you. But I can assure you that he loves himself that much more."

The swish of the covering marked her exit. Blackheart stood in the den, dying from despair inside, all over again.

---

Tell me what you think. Don't forget to vote!


	10. Intent to Harm

**Intent to Harm**

Sorry for the wait. Life and original works took up my time. Enjoy and vote on the new poll in my profile. Also, review.

---

During his stay with his Twoleg captors, Blackheart realized he had the strange ability to make an enemy out of almost anyone. He never acted tougher or assumed he was better than any other animal; he was always silent and out of the way. He never complained about the situation he was in. It wasn't until a time had passed in captivity that he realized that his passivity was the problem.

If it didn't look like you were suffering, then you were doing better than everybody else. That was unacceptable. Misery loved company and despised happiness or adaptation. Thus, Blackheart was a prime target for bullying. Though, he noted with little humor, others didn't seem to get that you could gain no satisfaction from bullying an emotionally dead cat. StoneClan was no different.

The misery had caused him to lose consciousness. From the sounds he could gather from the ear that wasn't buried in the pillow he'd fallen on, it was morning. The next thing he registered was a jabbing of paws against his side, and a voice.

"Get up!" Another jab.

"I said up!" Angrier now, another hard jab. A hiss of fury.

Blackheart cracked his eye open enough to see a tan tom with coal black eyes rear back on his hind paws to drag them down against his side. The mystery tom was kicked savagely to the side before he could pitch forward. In his place stood Sinew, snarling. "I ordered him unharmed! Get out before I claw you to the bone!"

The tom made a move to speak, but shut his mouth before he could say anything that would make Sinew bring her threat to fruition. On his way out, he passed Blackheart a hate filled glare.

Sinew turned to him. "I know that you're awake. Get up and eat, you have things to do." Blackheart flicked his unburied ear, stood, and stretched; he was privy to the audience that roamed over his body with its eyes.

Despite his situation, he found some of his old wit. "You shouldn't stare. Your warriors might start to get the wrong idea about my position here." He went to the food pile and picked up a plump pigeon. He turned with it and plopped down between the pillows. There was no way he was turning his back on this dangerous cat.

Sinew's eyes flashed. "As I said, Scourge is the enemy, not you. I see no reason for you to be mistreated while among us."

He tore a piece from the meat, chewing thoughtfully. _She hates Scourge, but doesn't mistreat those who serve him. Mercy, fairness… Admirable qualities for a leader. _More meat entered his mouth. As he chewed, he studied her stance and actions. She was watching him dutifully. He swallowed.

"Shouldn't you have given guard duty to some other cat? After all, the leader is above such things, is she not?" Hopefully she would react in such a way that he could see what character traits she had that he could manipulate.

Sinew laughed. "Oh no, Blackheart. You have the honor of being a cat so dangerous that the leader herself must watch over you."

The dark tom sucked on a naked bone. "Concerned for my safety? I'm touched." The sarcasm dripped like juice from his eaten pigeon.

A snort from Sinew had him flicking his ear again. "You could say that. You could also say that I'm the only thing standing between you and being torn apart by my whole Clan. I don't doubt their loyalty to me, but the odds are favorable that if I left you alone, even with Snake and Ice, one of them would find a way to murder you before my plan has come to pass."

Blackheart glared with all he had. "I won't allow that. You cannot force me to kill Scourge."

His captor shrugged. "Maybe not, but I can force you to get out and make yourself useful."

"Useful?"

Sinew padded to the entrance, throwing her voice over her shoulder as she went. "You didn't think you were just going to sit here in my den all day, did you? Now come on. Time to put you to work."

Blackheart spat out the bone and followed suit.

The second he passed the drape, he could feel every eye on him. From the oldest to the youngest kit, he was given the evil eye. Not one, however, could match the glare that he was receiving from the tom that had tried to assault him earlier. He sidled up to Sinew, pressing flanks. The tom's glare only became more piercing.

Blackheart nodded toward his supposed enemy. "That tom over there. What's his name?"

If Sinew minded the close contact she didn't show it. Her eyes flickered over the Clan, and like magic, they automatically turned away to hide their disapproving stares. Her gaze rested on the tan tom, the only one who had the courage to openly show his hostility. When his eyes locked with Sinew's, they softened, but took notice of Blackheart once more and turned hateful. He stalked away into the crowd.

Still peering at the spot where the mystery cat had been, she answered. "That was Sprint. Besides Snake and Ice, he is one of my greatest warriors and member of my personal guard. You would be wise to mind him."

"I'll keep that in mind," Blackheart replied dryly. "Now, what is this business that you would have me do? I'm a prisoner."

Padding forward, Sinew lead him to a corner of the large camp and sat before an aged cat and what Blackheart could surmise was a small army of kits. The old she cat, a creature of faded, blonde fur bowed to Sinew. "They are ready." Her voice was scratchy and raw, hoarse from a life of shouting orders. The kits behind bowed as well.

Sinew bowed and turned to Blackheart. "In order to make yourself useful to the Clan, you will be training the next generation of our warriors. With Dusk's assistance of course."

When his ear flicked a third time, Blackheart wondered if he wasn't losing some part of his mind. His eyes roamed over the young cats, taking in their sizes, their colors. He also took in the way they reacted to him.

Some looked angry and bared fangs. Others were indifferent to his presence. Most were obviously afraid. They tried not to show it; they didn't want to be shamed in front of their own leader, but it was there. He could taste the fear.

He turned to the she cats. "You would let an enemy train your warriors? You seem quite presumptuous of my cooperation."

Dusk gave a purr of approval. "You obviously ain't afraid of voicing your opinion, are you?"

"You'll find he's very witty and willful, Dusk." To Blackheart, "What choice do you have? I won't have you sit in my den and do nothing. Plus, from what I saw from your raid, they have much they could learn from you." She padded a little ways off to the side and sat, signaling the end of the discussion. "Begin the training!"

Defeated, Blackheart turned to his new students. But as he gazed at them again, inspiration began to dawn on him. A whole generation of warriors… Under his training, his command…

Scourge's command…

---

"Hunting crouches!" Dusk sounded off the order. Instantly, the kits dropped into crouches, muscles taut, ready to spring.

Blackheart sounded next. "Backwards evade!" The kits pushed off and back a ways then reset themselves. Time for the next move. "Spring and claw!"

Instantly, the kits sprang forward and batted down with their paws. The same moment, the sound of a scream was heard and the smell of blood was in the air.

One of the kits had unsheathed her claws and punctured the kit in front of her. Black as Blackheart himself, with cold silver eyes that danced with glee, she raked her claws down her prey, drawing forth more blood and screams. Dusk rushed forward to unhook her from the other kit while the others backed away. Sinew sat, her gaze hard. Blackheart assessed.

That she cat had been willful from the start; willful and skilled. Her pounces were greater, her crouches more natural and predatory. Her swipes had darted through the air as if she were a hummingbird. Apparently she liked to shed blood as well…

"Dusk!" Blackheart shouted. "Let me deal with her." Dusk's eyes swiveled from hi to Sinew. The leader nodded and the elderly cat backed away.

Blackheart darted forward and unhinged the kit from her capture, with a solid strike. The freed kit squealed in pain as the claws tore free from him, but he'd live.

The black kit stumbled back into a hunting crouch, tail in the air, claws unsheathed, hissing. Blackheart slid into a crouch of his own. The little kit bounded forward.

Blackheart gave a hop, the kit flying under him. He landed squarely on his feet, turned, and lashed out with his paw. The hit landed on the kit's head, snapping it to the side, but the creature turned with the blow and spun, ending up facing Blackheart once more.

Blackheart made the move this time. Quickly, he pounced and landed right on top of the kit. She squealed and squirmed, hissing and frothing, lost in battle lust. The cold feel of Blackheart's fangs stopped her.

"Good," said the dark tom. "Now, I'm going to let you up. When I do, I want you to sit quietly."

"Why should I listen to you?!" she snapped.

"Would you rather have Sinew and Dusk punish you for what you did to that other kit?"

The she cat gave a huff.

"That's what I thought. Alright, I'm getting up now." He rolled off her. She stood and shook out her fur, but otherwise did nothing hostile. "What's your name?"

The kit looked up at him questioningly. "Malice. What of it?"

Blackheart gave a snort. "Appropriate. You have a good deal of potential."

Malice licked her lips. "I keep hearing cats say that, but they always yell at me during training. They say I'm too rough."

"They're right. Attacking your own Clanmates won't win you a popularity contest anytime soon." He leaned in closely. "But let me teach you. I can give you more power and skill than you'll know what to do with. What do you say little kit?"

She flexed her claws. "Will I be able to fight?"

"More battle and bloodshed than you've ever seen."

Her eyes flickered in mad glee. "Then teach me."

---

Back in the den, Sinew watched once more as Blackheart tore into a plump rat. She herself had a smaller specimen.

I'm impressed with your work today, Blackheart. Malice was unruly and unpredictable. You seem to have reined her in."

Blackheart swallowed. "I just showed her that lashing out without thought will only get you so far. Control of yourself is the key."

Sinew tore the meat of her meal with her claws. "Is that the same thing you told Scourge?"

"…Yes" His stare pierced through to her. "I will not destroy Scourge. Nor will I let you do it."

Sinew sampled her rat. "Do you love him that much? You would let him kill you?"

He stared into her eyes, relentlessly probing. "Wouldn't you do the same for the one that he took from you?"

Pain flashed in the leader's eyes. "…Over and over again…" Her eyes hardened. "I can understand love. But Scourge will not escape my harmful intent.

_Nor will you escape mine, Sinew._

---

I hope you enjoyed that. Remember, there is a poll in my profile. Also, please review if you like the story, because I'm not even touching this again until I see five for this chapter.


	11. Heart of Darkness: Dark Resolve

**Heart of Darkness: Dark Resolve**

I know I said that I wouldn't touch this until I got five reviews, but I could only leave it alone for so long. But please, review. Tell me what you think and feel so that I can make this better. Enjoy.

---

Moons of cruelty had fashioned Scourge into a monster and others saw him as such. Heartless was one of the many words used to describe him. Monster was another. A third was tyrant. The titles had begun with foes and potential challengers. One glance at the blood on him or his impaled collar spelled fear and death to any who dared come against him. Afterwards, his own cats followed suit. Fear gave them wisdom. If Scourge's treatment of Barley, Daisy and his own siblings were any indicators, they were no safer. Needless to say, the term heartless was used most frequently.

It couldn't have been farther from the truth. Few ever saw it, but Scourge was actually one of the most emotionally sensitive cats there was; he just had a gift for burying those emotions under terrifying attributes. Blackheart had changed everything. He had unearthed the part of the leader that many, including himself, thought dead. And in the tom's absence, pushing aside the despair, something inside Scourge began. The ice was melting and in its place was a warmth that filled Scourge...

It started as a spark, then lifted and expanded, shifting into a bubble in his chest that grew warmer and hotter and higher. It tickled his heart and made his throat coil. In the darkness of the haunt, Brick and Bone bore witness to the latest testament to the change in Scourge's demeanor; he laughed. But it wasn't cold and cruel like it usually was. This was, not happy, but confident laughter. It was laughter that spoke of an unwavering resolve, a determination that could not be swayed. It was laughter of strength. Of unbreaking will against adversity. It was a laugh of love.

And he welcomed it.

Scourge turned towards his cats and gave a chilling smile. Brick and bone shuddered at the clarity in his eyes. Before, Scourge had eyes akin to a dark stormy winter's night. Now they had the calm serentiy of a still day in leaf bare and that made his gaze scarier than it had ever been. "Prepare yourselves. We move out at dusk."

---

Bone paced along the edge of the building, eyes swiveling about. "Strange," he stated gruffly. "I would have thought we would be seeing cats up here after the raid." He turned to Scourge. "I know Blackheart wouldn't tell them about it, but it seems likely that Sinew would have figured out how you two got into StoneClan camp so easily."

"She more than likely does know. Not many cats fall from the sky." Scourge padded on, resolute in reaching StoneClan camp.

Brick frowned. "So if she knows but hasn't set up guards..."

"Then she truly believes we can do nothing to stop her," Scourge finished. He cleared a jump. "I believe I know both her and Blackheart well enough. She sees no reason for offensive tactics now, but keeps Blackheart as insurance. If I know him," a ghost of a smile passed his lips, "then he is already finding some way to turn this to our advantage."

Reassured, Brick nodded. "He does have a talent for finding out what works best. For all we know he may be leading them now."

"Don't get cocky." said Bone. "I have no illusions about what he's capable of, but we have to assess what we see first. He may have secured himself there, but for how long? How long will Sinew wait before she acts? Before she does, we have to."

"We wait first," Scourge replied. He paused on the rooftop where he and Blackheart had shared the moon. The memory gave him warmth. "We'll take heed of what they do, Bone, but we must trust his judgement. We will watch and wait."

He had waited moons to take his revenge on Tigerstar. Time meant nothing when it came to Blackheart.

---

Sorry about the lack of updates. Also, if Scourge seems OOC or is changing too fast, let me know, and I'll revert him back to cruelty. Review and vote, please!


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